3/16 beer line, 1/4 tail piece

[brtisbuck]

I am trying to complete my first keezer build. I purchased 3/6" beer line from farmhouse and I am having trouble slipping it over my tail pieces. My line is the real rigid stuff. I tried the hot water trick and only cut my line and my finger.

What is the best way to go about connecting these? Also will whatever the solution is apply to my ball lock connectors?

 

[brewingmeister]

That accubev stuff? I put some of that on one run with smaller barbs. It was a total nightmare...I can't imagine trying to get that stuff on 1/4 barbs.

 

[Demon]

No problem, I have the same setup. Boil water, turn off stove, put end of line in water 30 seconds, remove, shove small needle nose pliers in line to expand, shove on tailpiece/disconnect.

 

[strumke]

Use a heat gun and wear some gloves with traction (the latex dipped ones from home depot work well)

 

[DBbrewing]

++1

no problem, i have the same setup. Boil water, turn off stove, put end of line in water 30 seconds, remove, shove small needle nose pliers in line to expand, shove on tailpiece/disconnect.

 

[Raenon]

It's a pain in the ass to get 1/4 barbs into a 3/16" line, but you do have one crucial benefit... for as difficult as they are to get in, it'll be damn near impossible for the line to slip.
Can't add any more to the directions above, as that's pretty much how I did mine.

 

[Psych]

Yeah definitely you need to expand the tubing with needle nose pliers, that's totally the way to go. I've also used, with good result in a combination with the pliers, one of those pointed ended metal wine cork thingies. They're heavy and solid and can be rammed into the line to expand when the line is warmed.

I've used a lighter to warm the end of the tubing too. One tip is to wear some thin gloves, can't count how many cuts I got on sharp barbs while putting on my lines.

Mine are the really rigid hardware store poly lines, the ice maker lines, so if I can get a slightly smaller than 3/16th onto a 1/4 barb, anyone can with time

 

[terrapinj]

the tail pieces are much easier than the QDs

lay the tail piece flat on the counter after heating both the tail piece and the line - needle nose pliers and/or a phillips head def help make the opening wider

 

[JuanMoore]

Yep, boiling water, good gloves, stretching the tubing with pliers/screwdriver/awl/etc, and I also found that heating the barb in a direct flame just before inserting it also helped a lot.

 

[upstream]

No problem, I have the same setup. Boil water, turn off stove, put end of line in water 30 seconds, remove, shove small needle nose pliers in line to expand, shove on tailpiece/disconnect.

That and a pair of latex gloves did it for me! Finally!! Thanks for the advice!